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Suggested Citation: "Introduction." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Antarctic Science: Why U.S. Leadership and Investments Matter. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26617.

Introduction

Imagine a place…

…where the ice beneath your feet stretches down for miles before touching solid ground.

…where gale-force winds and temperatures below –70°F are not unusual.

…that is as vast as the United States and Mexico combined, whose total population would fit on a cruise ship or two.

…that belongs to no nation yet represents an unparalleled resource for advancing humanity’s knowledge.

This place does not have to be imagined. It is Earth’s southernmost continent: Antarctica.

To most people, Antarctica seems utterly remote, not only in terms of physical distance but also in its role in our daily lives. The continent is not a source of any important natural resources that we consume or use. Its current events will rarely show up in your news feed. Most of us will never get to visit Antarctica in person. So, one might fairly ask, “Why does Antarctica matter?” Given the countless pressing needs we face as a nation, why should the United States invest in scientific and diplomatic leadership in this far corner of the world?

The reasons are numerous and may surprise you.

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The Antarctic offers profound insights into the past, present, and future of our planet. These insights emerge both from studies of the Antarctic itself and from studies that leverage Antarctica as a unique platform for looking beyond our world. Standing for decades as a global leader in Antarctic science and exploration, the United States occupies a vital role in driving research advances and supporting international collaboration to protect, learn from, and celebrate this exceptional place—for the benefit of all.

A Continent Without a Country

Earth’s fifth-largest continent belongs to no country. Typically, the story of Antarctica’s discovery begins a little more than 200 years ago, when explorers from the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Norway, and other countries first began to traverse Antarctic land and waters, gradually mapping the area and culminating in a race to reach the South Pole in 1911. Historians recently have come to understand, however, that excursions by Polynesian navigators into Antarctic waters date back much further, to around 1,320 years ago.

By the mid-20th century, several countries claimed sovereignty in parts of the continent, but these claims were not universally recognized. In 1957–1958, a surge in polar exploration known as the International Geophysical Year helped lead to the creation of the Antarctic Treaty System, which put a hold on sovereignty claims and established Antarctica as a scientific preserve. The Antarctic Treaty System has provided a framework for scientific cooperation and governance in Antarctica for more than 60 years and remains active today.

Antarctica has no permanent residents. The number of people present on the continent—mostly for research activities and logistical support—ranges from about 1,000 in the winter to as many as 5,000 in the summer. However, more than 74,000 people visited Antarctica as tourists in the 2019–2020 summer season, a number that has risen sharply in recent years. Most tourists view the Antarctic continent from boats, and tour operators coordinate to limit the number of people ashore at one time, the dramatic increase in traffic has raised concerns about the safety and impacts of Antarctic tourism. The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators and the Antarctic Treaty System are working to understand the potential impacts and strengthen rules and enforcement mechanisms to minimize them.

Roald Amundsen, leader of the first successful expedition to reach the South Pole in 1911. SOURCE: Anders Beer Wilse.

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Antarctica by the Numbers

What makes Antarctica such a great place for science? This land of extremes has Earth’s...

	Coldest temperatures
	lowest recorded temperature = –89.2°C (–128.6°F)
	Driest deserts
	annual precipitation = 50 millimeters (2 inches) inland, slightly more on the coast
	Windiest weather
	top recorded windspeed = 320 kilometers per hour (200 miles per hour)
	Highest continental elevation
	average elevation = 2,500 meters (8,200 feet)
	Thickest and most abundant ice
	top ice sheet thickness = 4.8 kilometers (~3 miles) Antarctica has 90% of the world’s ice
	Longest day (and night)
	the South Pole sees only one sunrise and one sunset each year
	Lowest human population
	average population density = one person for every 5,500 square kilometers (2,100 square miles)
	Largest freshwater reserve
	70% of Earth’s freshwater is in Antarctica (mostly frozen)

SOURCES: van der Watt, L. Antarctica. Britannica; Dempsey, C. 2020. Geography Facts About Antarctica. Geography Realm; Redd, N. T. 2018. Antarctica: The Southernmost Continent. LiveScience; Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions. Antarctic Environment.

Antarctic Science: Why U.S. Leadership and Investments Matter (2022)

Chapter: Introduction

Introduction

My Academies

Antarctic Science: Why U.S. Leadership and Investments Matter (2022)

Chapter: Introduction

Introduction